r declensions, changing its form to suit each.

The following form of declensions will serve to impart a clearer idea
of the arbitrary changes in the use of the adjective:

First Declension. (Singular, _nyare mpolu_, a large cow.
(Plural, _inyare impolu_, large cows.

Second Declension. (Singular, _egara evolu_, a large chest.
(Plural, _gara volu_, large chests.

Third Declension. (Singular, _idambe ivolu_, a large sheep.
(Plural, _idambe ampolu_, large sheep.

Fourth Declension. (Singular, _omamba ompolu_, a large snake.
(Plural, _imamba impolu_, large snakes.[91]

We presume it would be a difficult task for a Mpongwe to explain the
arbitrary law by which such changes are made. And yet he is as uniform
and strict in his obedience to this law as if it were written out in
an Mpongwe grammar, and taught in every village.

His verb has four moods; viz., indicative, imperative, conditional,
and subjunctive. The auxiliary particle gives the indicative mood its
grammatical being. The imperative is formed from the present of the
indicative by changing its initial consonant into its reciprocal
consonant as follows:--

_tonda_, to love.
_ronda_, love thou.
_denda_, to do.
_lenda_, do thou.

The conditional mood has a form of its own; but the conjunctive
particles are used as auxiliaries at the same time, and different
conjunctive particles are used with different tenses. The subjunctive,
having but one form, in a sentence where there are two verbs is used
as the second verb.[92] So by the use of the auxiliary particles the
verb can form the infinitive and potential mood. The Mpongwe verb
carries four tenses,--present, past or historical, perfect past, and
future. Upon the principle of alliteration the perfect past tense,
representing an action as completed, is formed from the present tense
by prefixing _a_, and by changing _a_-final into _i_: for example,
_t[)o]nda_, "to love;" _at[)o]ndi_, "did love." The past or historical
tense is derived from the imperative by prefixing _a_, and by changing
_a_-final into _i_. Thus _r[)o]nda_, "love;" _ar[)o]ndi_, "have
loved." The future tense is constructed by the aid of the auxiliary
particle _be_, as follows: _mi be t[)o]nda_," I am going to love."

We have not been able to find a Mandingo grammar, except Mr.
MacBrair's, which is, as far as we know, the only one in existence